Six named to city's new police board

This morning, protection and community services chairman Coun. Scott Fielding announced the proposed appointees who will provide civilian oversight of the Winnipeg Police Service.

Scott Fielding is to lead the new board.

Fielding has been selected to lead the new board. Other appointees include:

Lawyer Paul Edwards, who will be vice-chair of the board,

Glen Karr, president of Superblinds and Draperies,

Mary Jane Loustel, national aboriginal program executive for IBM Canada,

Elmwood Coun. Thomas Steen.

City council must approve the appointees.

The province has named Leslie Spillett as one of two provincial representatives who will serve a four-year term on the board, Fielding said. The second provincial representative resigned for personal reasons, and a replacement has not been determined.

Provincial appointees do not need to be approved by city council.

"We think it's a good mix of people," Fielding said this morning.

The board will have the authority to hire police chiefs and act as a liaison between the community and the police, but they will not oversee day-to-day investigations.

Fielding said 80 people applied for the board and appointees are recommended by council's executive policy committee.

Council had to pass a bylaw to create the board before Dec. 1 to meet the terms of the province's Police Services Act, created in the wake of the inquiry into police conduct in the officer-involved motor-vehicle collision death of Crystal Taman.

Fielding said he would like to see the board's first meeting held as soon as possible as one of the board's first priorities will be to search for an executive director.

The city and province have not come to an agreement over who will pay for staff salaries and benefits, office space, board-member remuneration and other operating costs.

"There's ongoing discussions with the province in terms of the funding source for it," Fielding said.

History

Updated on Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 10:45 AM CST: Updated

1:19 PM: clarifies Fielding has been selected to lead the new board

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